Roller skate construction



Dec. 22, 1931.

z/j a'zfin 66 e5 1 F. w. PLAN ERT ROLLER SKATE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 19, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 22, 1931. F. w. PLANERT ROLLER SKATE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 19, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 22, 1931. F. w. PLANERT ROLLER SKATE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 19, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 [7w 6 7% Z7604 lflfZauwii wlzzzz Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED W. PLANERT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO F. PLAhTERTc SONS, INC.,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ROLLER. sxarn consraucrion Application filed March 19, 1930. Serial No. 436,921.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in roller skate constructions in which I improve various features of the construction, among which the following may be noted:

First. I provide an improved form of connecting mechanism between the toe and heel portions of the skate, by which a range of size adjustment is secured, greater than heretofore possible, at the same time maintaining a rigid and strong connecting mechanism between the heel and toe portions for any length of the skate;

Second. I provide a smooth toe plate for the skate, so that the sole of the shoe may have an even support, by securing to the toe plate, the front truck of the skate, without the use of fastening devices extending through the toe plate;

Third. I provide a reinforcement for the heel plate of the skate which positively holds the heel of the shoe in place on the skate and at the same time retains the heel strap of the skate in place around the heel of the user, the reinforcing member being formed so that there is no pressure of the strap upon the shoe of the user, resulting from the holding of the strap by the reinforcing member, and without the use of fastening devices for securing the strap to the reinforcing member;

Fourth. I provide a special construction of roller and bearing for use in roller skates, by which a single ball bearing is employed to support the roller, and in such a manner as to permit a certain amount of rocking movement of the roller relatively to its supporting axle, without disturbing in any way the operativeness of the supporting bearing.

The above and other objects of my invention will best appear from the drawings which are illustrative of a preferred embodiment thereof, in which Figure 1 shows my skate construction in side elevation,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the construction shown in Figure 1 taken along the line 3-3.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of i the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 taken along the line 44l.in Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, V

Figure 6 is a sectional View of the construc- I tion shown in Figures 1 and 2 line 66 in Figure 1,

F igure 7 shows in a view similar to Figure taken along the 2, a part of the toe plate with the head of the corresponding clamping bolt removed, this view being taken along the line 7-7 in Figure 4,

Figure 8 is a sectional view to an enlarged scale of the clamping bolt and associated parts shown in Figure 6,

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional View through one of the rollers shown in Figure 6, taken along the line 9-9,

Figure 10 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Figure. 4 taken along the line 1010,

Figure 11 shows in a view similar to Figure 4:, a modified construction of the clamping devices and lengthening mechanism employed in connection with the skate construction, and

Figure 12 shows in a'view similar to Figure 11, a further modified construction of the clamping devices employed in connection with the lengthening mechanism.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, my construction consists of a toe plate 10 to the under side of which is secured a flanged bracket 11, for example by electric welding, to carry the front truck 12, and a heel plate 13 to the underside of which is similarly secured, a flanged bracket 14 to carry the rear truck 15 as indicated, the toe and heel portions of the skate being connected together by a lengthen ing bar 16 held in any desired adjustment by clamping boltsl? and 18. The truck 12 has extending forwardly therefrom a brace 19 secured preferably by electric welding, to the forward portion of the toe plate 10, which brace is engaged by a screw 20 provided to operate the toe clamp 21, which toe clamp is slotted as shown in Figure 10, to receive ears 22 formed on the edges of the toe plate 10, having enlarged heads to support the memwelding.

" As'shown in Figures 3 Figure 6, it rests between tend.

The member 23 is slotted as indicated at 24: to receive a heel strap 25extending preferably around the outer surface of the member 23, the portions of the member 23 adjacent the slots 24 bein bent outwardly as indicated at 23a so that the inner surface of the strap 25 will lie in substantially the same plane as the inner surface of the member 23,

and thus avoid pressing the strap'against the shoe of the user when the strap is tight- "ened to hold the heel of the user agai'nst'the member 23.

and 6, the bar 16 is of'shallow U-shaped construction, and at the front end of the skate as illustrated in a depressed channel portion 10a of the toe plate 10 and simi .larly formed walls 11a'of the bracket 11, the

relation of these parts being more clearly shown in Figure 8. The bar 16 is of substan tially the same form throughout its length,

and adjacent the heel portion of the skate, as shown in Figure 3, it rests between the grooved portion 13a depressed from the heel plate 13, and similarly formed walls .l la of the bracket 14. The bar 16 constitutes the member connecting the'toe and heel portions of the skate, and is of sufficient thickness to "effect a rigid and substantial connection between these parts of the skate, and the portions 10a, 13a, 11a and 14a of the toe plate 10, the heel plate'13, and the brackets 11 and la respectively, constitute front and rear guides closely fitting the bar 16, maintaining the front and rear portions of the skate in proper alignment with each other.

This effect is further secured by forming on the brackets 11 and 14, ears 11?) and l lb respectively at the rearend of the bracket '11 and the front end of the bracket 14, which extend over the edges of the bar 16 to lengthen the guideways referred to, as much as, possible, without interfering with the maximum adjustment of the skate permitted by the bar 16.

' The end portions of the bar 16 are provided with slots 16d and'16?) through which the locking bolts 17 and 18 respectively ex- Each of these bolts is provided with a flat sided shankas indicated at 17a and'18a in Figure 2, located in similarly shaped apertures in the front'and rear portions respectively of the heel plate 13 and the toe plate 10. The grooves 13a and 10a besides forming guideways for the bar 16 as described, also receive the heads of the bolts 17 and 13 respectively, so that said bolts heads will not project above the upper surfaces of the heel and toe plates. Below the bar 16, the bolts 17 and 18 carry nuts as indicated, by which the ends of the bar 16 may be tightly clamped to the heel plate 13 and the toe plate 10 respectively, for any desired length of the skate. By providing a sliding adjustment of the bar 16 at both the toe and heel portions of the skate, 1 secure a much greater range of adjustment of the skate for length, than where the adjustment as to length is secured at only one portion of the skate, and by the guide construction referred to for the bar 16, I providea rigid relation between the parts for any adjustment as to length, which is positively inaintainec by the clamping bolts referred to.

g It will also be observed that the guide construction referred to permits the bar 16 to extend entirely through the brackets 11 and 1 so that for the shortest length of skate, the ends of the bar 16 may be in line with thereinforcing member 23,01 even project back of it,and adjacent to the clamping device 21, thus affording a ler of the bar 16 nearly as long as the (were 1 length of the skate itself in its shortest adjustment, which permits a wide range of adjustment of the skate as to length. r

' As shown in Figure 6, each roller consists of a first sheet metal'disk 30 having a cen tral aperture to loosely receive one end of a tubular axle member 31, and'formed into a cylindrical portion as indicated at 32 to constitute the tread of the roller. Between the axle 31 and the vtread 3; the disk 30 is formed towards the central plane of the roller as indicated at 33, to engage an outwardly extending flange on a bearing member 3a. A second disk member 35 is provided with a central aperture loosely receiving the other end of the axle 31, and is formed similarly to the disk 30 at its outer edge, excepting that it is of enough smaller diameter to enter with a tight lit, the tread portion of the disk 30. The disk 35 is pressed towards the central plane of the roller as indicated at 36, between its central aperture and its outer edge portion, to engage a second flangedbearing member 37, the disks 30 and 35 being so formed that when they are tightly pressed together, the bearing members 3 1 and 37 have their outer flanged portions held tightly together and centered, to hold the balls 38 of the bearing in place between raceways 310, and 31?) formed on the axle portion 31, which raceways are of larger diameter than'the apertures through the disks 30 and 35 and also preferably larger than the apertures through the bearing members3t and The parts described are held in assembled relation, by forming the edge of the tread portion 32 of the'disk 30 over against the edge of the adjacent portion of the disk 35, as shown at 32a, for which condition the '34; and 37, being separate from the disks 30 and 35, my be made of carbon steel and of any desired hardness to effectively serve as a ball race for the bearing of the wheel.

The other roller carried by the truck 12 is also of the construction ust described, and the two rollers are preferably mounted on "the truck by a bolt 33 passing through their axle portions and tightly clamping the latter against a tubular member 40 carried by the lower portion of the truck 12, through which member 40, the bolt 39 also extends.

In this way, the axle portions of the rollers are held positively in proper position and yet at the same time each rollermay, if desired, have a slight movement in a lateral direction around its supporting bearing,

without in any way interfering with the effectiveness of the bearing, on account of there being but a single row of balls 38, and further on account of it being necessary to have but a single line of contact between the balls 38 and the bearing portions 34 and 37, since the ball races 31a and 31b prevent displacement of the balls from their proper positions on the axle.

in the modified construction shown in Figure 11, the toe plate is of similar construction to the toe plate 10, excepting that it is provided with a longitudinal slot 500 in the oottoin of the groove 50a, through which slot the body portion of a clamping screw 58' 8X tends, the lower end of said screw extending into one of several threaded apertures'56c provided therefor throughthe lengthening bar Similarly, the heel plate 53 is provided with a slot 530 extending longitudinally through the bottom of its groove 53a, through which slot the body portion of a cramping screw'fi'l' extends, the lower end of the screw engaging one of the threaded apertures 560. I

A plurality of threaded openings 560, spaced as desired, may be provided through the bar 56 to receive the screws 57 and 58 in any desired relatiomand by tightening the screws 57 and 58, the parts are rigidly held together with substantially the eilect above lescribed by using the clamping bolts 17 and it being understood that the parts of the ate adjacent the ends of the bar 56 form iideways therefor in substantially the manner abovedescribed for the construction shown in Figures l 8 inclusiveand with "the same ellect.

I In the construction shown in Figure 12, a modified form of clamping bolt is shown at 67, consisting of providing on the lower end of the bolt, a clamping nut 68, the apertures 66c providedin the lengthening bar 66 for the bolt 67, being clearance apertures instead of threaded apertures as shown in Eigpure 11, the construction otherwise being the same as described in connection with Figure 11, it being understood that the clamping devices employed on the toe portion of the skate for the lengthening bar, may be of the construction shown in Figure 12 or of the construction s iown in Figure ll, as preferred.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above described, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this exact construction as I may employ equivalents known to the art at the time of the filing of this application without departing' from the scene of the appended claims.

hat I claim is:

1. In a roller skate, the combination of a toe portioncomprising a toe plate having a longitudinal channel formed downwardly therefrom and a truck supporting bracket rigidly secured to said plate and having formed wall spaced from and substantially parallel with the walls of said channel forming an open ended guideway of uniform cross section, a heel portion comprising a heel plate and a truck supporting bracket rigidly secured thereto and having formed walls forming a channel and guideway like the said channel and guideway of said toe portion, a lengthening bar of shallow U-shaped cross section fitting said guideways with a sliding fit, and a clamping device extending through each of said channels and said bar to secure said .toe and said heel portions rigidly together in desired adjustment as to length oi -the skate, each of said clamping devices having an enlarged retaining portion contained in the corresponding channel.

2. In a roller skate, the combination of a toe portion comprising a toe plate having a longitudinal channel formed downwardly therefrom and a truck supporting bracket rigidly secured to said plate and having formed walls spaced from and substantially parallel with the walls of said channel forming an open ended guideway of uniform cross section, a heel portion comprising a heel plate and a truck supporting bracket rigidly secured thereto and having formed walls forming a channel and guideway like the said channel and guideway of said toe portion, a lengthening bar of shallow U-shaped cross section fitting said guideways with a shing fit, a clamping device extendin L each of said channels and said bar to secure said toe and said lieel portions rigidly together in desired adjustment as to length of the skate, each of said clamping devices having an enlarged retaining portion contained in-the correspondingchannel, said bar being slotted at each of its end portions and each said clamping device comprisinga bolt extending through oneot said slots and the corresponding channeled plate of the skate.

3. In a rollerskate, the combination ofa toe portion comprising a toe plate having a lonening bar of shallow U-shaped cross section fitting said .guideways with a. sliding fit, a clamping devlce extending through each OI said channels. and said bar to secure said toe and saidheel portions rigidly together in desired adjustment as to' length of the skate, each of said clampingdevices having an enlarged retaining portion contained in the corresponding channel, said bar being slotted at each of its end portions and 'eachsaid clamping device comprising a bolt extending through one of said slots and the corresponding channeled plate of the skate, each ofsaid bolts having a fiat sided shank, and each of said channels having a fiat sided aperture therethrou-gh fitting the shank of the corresponding bolt and preventing it from turning.

l. In a roller skate, the combination of a toe portion comprising a toe plate having a longitudinal chanel formed down vardly therefrom and a truck supporting bracket rigidly secured to said plate and having formedwalls spaced from and substantially parallel-with the Walls of said channel forming an openended'guideway of uniform cross section, a heel portion comprising a heel plate and a truck supporting bracket rigidly secured thereto and having formed walls forming a channel and guideway like the said channel and guidewav of said toe portion, a lengthening bar of shallow U-shaped cross section fitting said guideways with a sl' r1112 fit, and a. clamping device extending through each of said channels and, said bar to secure said toe and said heel portions rigidly toether in desired ad'ustinent as to length of the skate, each of said clamping devices havmg an enlarged retainmg portion contalned in the corresponding channel, said brackets also having ears ext-ending over said bar in effect increasingthe length of said guidewavs. 5. In a roller skate, the combination of a ,toe late, a heel plate. similar 'uidewavs of shallow U-sh'aped cross section respectively carried under and extending longitudinally of said plates, a lengthening bar of shallow le t-9 U-shaped cross section fitting said guideways with a sliding fit, and a clamp1ng dev1ce for each of said plates adj ustably securing it to said bar.

6. In a roller skate, the combination of a' toe plate, a heel plate, similar guideways of shallow U-shaped cross section respectively carried under and extending longitudinally of saidplates, a lengthening bar fitting said guideways with a sliding fit, a clamping de-- carried under and extending longitudinally of said plates, a lengthening bar fitting said guideways with a sliding fit, a clamping device for each of said plates adjustably securing it to said bar, each said clamping device having an enlarged portion above the corresponding plate contained in a downwardly extending recess in said plate.

a 8. In a. roller skate, the combination of a toe plate, a heel plate, similar guideways of shallow U-shaped cross section respectively carried under and extending longitudinally of said plates, a "lengthening bar fitting-said guideways with a sliding fit, a clamping device for each of said plates adjustably secur- ,ing-it tovsaid bar, said bar being slotted at its end portions and each said clamping device comprising a bolt extendlng through one of said slots and the corresponding plate,

each of said bolts havinga fiat sided shank fitting a similarly shaped aperture in the corresponding plate.

9. Ina roller skate, the combination of a toe plate, a heel plate, similar guideways of shallow U-shaped cross section respectively carried under and extending longitudinally of said plates, a lengthening bar fitting said guideways with a sliding fit, a clamping devicefor each'of said plates adjustably securing it to said bar, said'bar being slotted at its end portions and each said clamping device comprising a bolt extending through one of said slots and the corresponding plate, each of said bolts having afiat sided shank fitting a similarly shaped aperture in the corresponding plate and having a head contained in a downwardly extending recess in said plate. I

10. In a roller skate, the combination of a toe plate, a heel plate, said plates having upper surfaces for engagement with the shoe of the user and provided with similar, central.

.-longitudinally depressed portions below said vshoe engag ng surfaces,a lengthening bar be- .low said depressed portlons and having upwardly extending. edge portions fitting the outer and lower surfaces of said depressed portions, and devices securing said bar to said plates, said devices having heads contained in said depressed portions below said shoe engaging surfaces.

11. In a roller skate, the combination of a toe plate, a heel plate, said plates having upper surfaces for engagement with the shoe of the user and provided with similar, central, longitudinally depressed portions below said shoe engaging surfaces, a lengthening bar below said depressed portions and having upwardly extending edge portions fitting the outer and lower surfaces of said depressed portions, and devices securing said bar to said plates.

12. In a roller skate, the combination of a toe plate, a heel plate, said plates having upper surfaces for engagement with the shoe of the user and provided with similar, cen tral, longitudinally depressed portions below said shoe engaging surfaces, a lengthening bar below said depressed portions and having upwardly extending edge portions fitting the outer and lower surfaces of said depressed portions, devices securing said bar to said plates. said devices having heads contained in said depressed portions below said shoe engaging surfaces. and guide plates below the edge portions of said lengthening bar holding the latter against saiddepressed portions.

13. In a roller skate, the combination of a toe plate, a heel plate, said plates having upper surfaces for engagement with the shoe of the user and provided with similar, central, longitudinally depressed portions below said shoe engaging surfaces, a lengthening bar below said depressed portions and having upwardly extending edge portions fitting the outer and lower surfaces of said depressed portions, devices securing said bar to said plates, and guide plates below the edge portions of said lengthening bar holding the latter against said depressed portions.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of March, A. D. 1930.

FRED WV. PLANERT. 

